Symbiosis
by sanctum-c
Summary: It did not take long for Elmyra to first hear about Sector Five's Hell House. A monster, somehow able to make itself resemble a house, lurked on a plot of land down near the river. It had been there as long as anyone could remember. The Sector's inhabitants made sure to tell newcomers; far too many lost or injured after venturing into the area.


_As with _House Hunting_, this fic was inspired by a post by servantofsadako on tumblr, and some rambling discussions elsewhere._

* * *

It did not take long for Elmyra to first hear about Sector Five's Hell House. The name conjured images of a house all done up in vivid red or as a semi-affectionate name for somewhere notorious. It soon became clear that the reality was much odder. A monster, somehow able to make itself resemble a house, lurked on a plot of land down near the river. It had been there as long as anyone could remember. The Sector's inhabitants made sure to tell newcomers; far too many lost or injured after venturing into the area. There had been many attempts to fight the creature and retake the land, but none successful. Every so often there was talk of pooling some money to hire SOLDIER and let them deal with the nuisance. It sounded good for a while though it soon degenerated into arguments over who would claim ownership of the land afterwards. Despite this, the situation seemed to persist because it had little impact on every-day life. Even the people who lived nearby did not mind the proximity to a monster. The creature did not move often and when it did it never strayed far from its resting place. Elmyra asked why there was so much concern about if it was not causing problems. The answer surprised her; grass and flowers - the only ones within the city - were in the area the creature had claimed. If they could destroy the monster, then the Sector Five denizens might enjoy a reminder of what the world outside the city was like.

Elmyra was curious. Descriptions of the monster seemed so fanciful; a picturesque cottage lurking on a patch of grass and flowers. If you approached then it would transform, growing arms, legs and a head. Get too close and it would lash out - many had suffered broken limbs and worse. No one dared go close enough to see what might be inside such an organism. There was a door set into the front wall, and the windows looked to glass; but to get closer risked attack. Elmyra thought about it some nights as she lay in the cramped confines of her rented apartment. The faint sounds of those all around her filtering through the thin walls. It was not pleasant to live here, but there was little choice. Her meager pay would not stretch much further, and buying an actual house was an impossible dream, despite her savings. Frustration lead to a decision one night; the bass music from below, the rhythmic creaking and muted gasps from above. She would look at the house, she would see if the rumors were true. It sounded better than here.

The next day should have been a hunt for a better place to live or a better job. The thoughts from the previous night did not feel quite so inspired in the cold light of day, but she forced herself to investigate. Better to try and fail. Elmyra followed the directions she had learnt though repetition. Everyone had been clear on just where she should not go to avoid straying across the Hell House by accident. The entrance was between two apartment blocks with a dirt path between them. It lead into what seemed like a mystical cavern within the city. There were grass and flowers here, a river and even sunlight, shining through the gap in the plates above. And in the middle was the house; run-down but charming. It all looked better than the prestigious homes on the Upper plate; almost like a fairy-tale.

Elmyra eyed the house. It had not moved a fraction in all the time she had been standing there. Was it alive or was it some improbable story intended to keep people away from someone private? Someone who guarded this oasis from any who might trespass? She could just turn and walk away. She had seen it, seen somewhere beautiful, somewhere so different to the rest of Midgar. But the lure was inescapable. She was far too curious and took cautious step after cautious step towards the house. The growl came when she was ten paces from the front door, the sound made her jump but she only paused for a moment. It was not definite that it had come from inside the house; it could be something else. She kept moving forward and stumbled back when the house shook. It roared louder and began changing. Skeletal limbs slide from the windows and concealed panels on the roof. She turned on her heel and sprinted back along the path, pausing at the entrance to the clearing. The house shuffled around, swaying a little and settled. The limbs disappeared back inside the structure after a moment.

It was alive; the rumors had been accurate. But was the paintwork of the house supposed to look so chipped? Was the entire structure supposed to look so run-down? Should the windows have such a thick coating of dirt? A lick of paint would not be hard to arrange. Elmyra wanted to laugh. What was this? Was she considering aiding the house? Aid the creature that had tried to attack her only moments before? Perhaps. There was something about it that failed to match the rumors. As far as she knew all attempts to go near the house had been aggressive. She had never heard of anyone approaching in peace. There was a chance someone had tried before, but no matter; now she was going to try. She would make peace with the creature and see what it hid inside; see if it was a house on the inside too.

Elmyra sneaked a little closer, not venturing closer than ten paces from the nearest corner. She would need paint first. It looked like some of the wood panels were rotten and could do with replacing. A daunting notion given the house's reaction to her approach. Maybe later. If this worked. She glanced at her watch. The hardware store would still be open and it would not cut too much into her savings for the month to buy one tin of paint. Elmyra ran through a list of rules in her head as she walked home. When to dart away, when to dash closer, how long she could spend on painting, and how much chance there was of this going right.

* * *

The next day, Elmyra approached the house with a tin of paint and a brush. At least the house was so far no more aggressive than the day before. She paused ten paces away from it and prised the lid off the paint tin. Elmyra took a deep breath; she was going to do this. Do it now before she changed her mind. She lifted her brush and ran at the house. The growl came just as expected, but she had reached the wall before any of the changes began. The paint splattered as she swept the brush across the exposed wood, trying to coat the surface as fast as possible. The shuddering of the building threw off her aim a little, the brush sweeping across the painted sections, but no matter. She glanced up. No arms just yet. A few more moments. Her designated first section of flaking paint was almost covered. Elmyra chanced a look upwards and threw herself backwards before the grasping fingers caught her. She scrambled to her feet, backing away to where the paint tin stood. The house's limbs flailed and thrashed, the whole edifice creaking and straining. Dust shook free from the gaps between the boards and the base pulled loose from the ground. Elmyra backed away, watching the house wobble on unseen legs for a moment before settling back in place. Perhaps it would be a good idea to wait a few hours before trying that again.

It took a week to complete the painting on the ground floor, between lunges of arms, and on one wall of the house, the snap of skeletal jaws. Experience showed leaving a gap of one to two hours was best between attempts to paint the house at first. Any less and it would react before she was close enough. Any more, and it was hard to work up the effort to indulge in such hazardous do it yourself work. The house at least seemed to have realized what she was trying to do. It moved slower each time, the gaps between her commencement and the house making a grab for her becoming longer. Easier to work on larger areas and to paint more. Did the creature appreciated the aid? Elmyra clung to the hope that it did as she returned each time. The house looked a lot better now, though the upper floor still needed attention. A task best left for much later - assuming she ever got that far. Next up were the wooden boards. And this was going to be more involved and maybe more hazardous than painting. Elmyra had taken the time to measure the boards while finishing the painting. She was able to measure all the damaged sections with only a faint need to keep watch for flailing limbs. There was a lumber merchant in the market, and while another expense, nothing she could not afford. At least assuming that this would all be worth it.

She sat a short distance from the house, painting the wood in readiness for the next skirmish. She stared at the first rotten board on the house, the crowbar held ready. Best to try and rip that out first and replace it with the new board after a gap just as with the first attempt at painting. She took a deep breath and sprinted forward. As she had hoped, the house made no move at her approach, but let loose a growl as she hooked the crowbar under the rotten board and tugged. The growl turned into a roar as the board broke away, flakes of wood left in its wake. Elmyra did not pause to check on her handiwork and instead ran for safety, turning to see the house ready to attack. Elmyra returned at regular intervals throughout the day to check, but the house remained ready to attack each time. The limbs had retracted part way inside the structure, but they were still visible. She gave up and returned home for the day.

The house was back to normal next morning. At least there was no weather in the slums so the loss of the board overnight should not cause the creature any more problems. Now part two of board replacement. Elmyra had spent some time on the slight issue of how to attach the new board; speed was essential and nails were slow. Maybe a nail-gun would help? No. She would rather be accurate, and trying to use such a device with the threat of the house attacking did not seem wise. The problem remained and she was not sure how to sort it. By chance she found a solution while trawling through the market; a quick-setting adhesive. Not ideal, but it might be enough to keep the board in place. Nailing that into position later would be much less troublesome.

As with the board removal, Elmyra ran through the steps in her head as she stared at the hole in the house's wall. Apply adhesive to the board, get close and then press into place for as long as possible. Retreat. She could do this. As long as the house did not lash out as she approached. Elmyra swallowed and began. The house growled the moment she ran towards it, roaring as she pressed the board into the vacant space. She kept her weight against it as the house trembled and rose up. She retreated with a dive as a limb thrust towards her, scrambling across the grass and out of the way. As with the painting, the house was slower to respond to each step as time wore on. Hammering in the first nail took four attempts and hours between them. The fourth nail she completed in one skirmish. The second board she was able to remove and replace in the same day. When she returned to nail it into place, to her amazement, the front door clicked and swung open. Elmyra stared into the house; it did not look like the belly of a monster. She was not sure what to have expected, but an unfurnished home was not it. It looked charming, inviting, and somewhere to live.

Elmyra shook her head. "Not yet," she told the house. "Thank you for the offer, but I feel we need to trust each other a little more first."

She had no idea if the house heard or understood her, but the door clicked closed again. The replacement board took only one try this time, the house not reacting even as she walked away. Despite the lack of hostility an alarming thought took root in her mind. For all her efforts, for all her work, was it still possible that she might set foot inside the house and it would consume her? Maybe it was like those insect eating plants except here it's prey was humans? Had it evolved to lure her inside for sustenance? Elmyra shivered but remained resolute; she wanted a symbiotic relationship with the house. It would take time and patience.

* * *

As with the painting, the more Elmyra perservered, the less the house reacted to her actions. There was the odd sensation of it tensing as she pried the boards away. And was it perhaps wincing as she nailed the replacements into place? The adhesive was soon dispensed with, and she was able to work much quicker and without keeping watch for an attack. The house looked better by the day, and soon there would be no more external damage to fix. Well, any reachable from ground level at least. When the front door clicked open again after she attached the last board, Elmyra only hesitated for a moment and crept closer.

The house had not reacted once in the past two days, failing to make a grab for her, or show any signs of aggression. It seemed to be cognizant of what she was trying to do and how it was in it's own best interests to let her. But the worry remained; just what the creature was like and as a result setting foot inside still seemed unwise. But she had promised and the house had behaved itself. The interior looked to be in better shape than the exterior. The room she could see was bare with a stone floor, wooden walls, and a set of stairs at the far side leading up to the first floor. Lots of potential and pretty charming. Elmyra dithered. This was what the entire project had been about; living in this house and demonstrating the benefits of symbiosis. She would gain a house, and it would gain someone who could maintain it.

She needed to try entering, though there was no sense in taking unnecessary risks. Elmyra had a wedge of wood left over from the replacement planks, and used it to brace the front door open. If all else failed she could still bolt for the door. Keeping hold of the frame she used her foot to nudge the wood into place with as much force as her awkward position would allow. Still not enough. Elmyra kept her feet on the ground outside as she crouched down to push the wedge further under the door with both hands. At least the house had not tried to slam the door on her head. So far, so good. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, every muscle tensed, every nerve screaming as she entered the house.

Nothing happened. Elmyra relaxed in gradual steps, glancing around the room. No wash of digestive enzymes flooded down the stairs. No tentacles sprouted from within one of the cupboards to pull her towards some horrific maw in the upper part of the house. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her thoughts in a different direction. Better. She opened her eyes again. The same, vacant room greeted her. Elmyra let out a shaky breath and smiled. It was going to be fine. She paced further into the room and jumped as the front door slammed behind her. Elmyra looked around in a panic, but before she could move, her head began swimming. Her vision flooded with black spots, her cries for help dying in her throat. The house had betrayed her, lain in wait all this time. Her limbs felt like jelly and she fell into darkness.

* * *

With a gasp Elmyra sat up. She lying on the cold stone floor of the house. Her hands pawed across every inch of herself she could reach. She seemed to still be in one piece. Shivering, she stood and staggered to the door, half expecting it to not open. It was not locked and she hurried out. What time was it? Glancing at her watch revealed hours had passed since she went in. Elmyra threw a fearful gaze at the house and with increasing sureity strode back to her apartment. No. No, the whole plan had been a waste. She had fixed up a vicious organism, made it more attractive to those who did not know about rumors. She frowned as she walked. There was a nuisance soreness developing in her left foot. Elmyra almost wanted to laugh. She paid it no mind. The house had-. Well, what had it done?

The house had rendered her unconscious somehow, or at least had seemed to. Or had it been a gust of wind that slammed the front door closed? Could it have been over exertion on her part that made her faint? Elmyra wanted to believe that, but it was impossible; she knew the house had been responsible. Her ankle itched like mad when she got to her door and fumbled for her keys. She rummaged in her bag's first pocket. Nope. How about the other? Not there either. Elmyra cursed. Where had she dropped them? The landlord would charge her for a call out and a new set of keys if she told him. Another expense after spending so much and so long on that house. Distracted, Elmyra crouched and scratched at her ankle. Her fingers met bare skin; her sock was gone. She blinked. How could she have lost a sock? Elmyra sat on the floor and tugged her boot off. Her left foot was missing it's sock. Had she put on a pair this morning? Of course she had. Who would go out wearing only one sock? She pulled at her other boot, moving the leather tabs out of the way to assure herself. The sock was still there. A thought trickled into focus. Missing one sock. Missing her keys. Elmyra pulled out her purse. Her small change was gone.

Elmyra let out an angry sigh and ignoring the itch on her ankle, stormed back through Sector Five to the Hell House.

"You. You ate my keys didn't you?" Elmyra glared at the house. "And one of my socks. And my change. I need that you know. And you've locked me out of my apartment." In an unsurprising move, the house did not answer. Elmyra scowled at it and the front door clicked open. "Oh no," she said. "I'm hanging onto my other sock. And I have no keys left." The house remained silent, the door still open. Elmyra sighed. "What am I doing?" She sat on the ground. "I'm talking to a house that stole my change."

She studied the structure. "Did you eat all the keys? Is there any chance you didn't eat them yet? Or didn't eat my door key? You can have the others if you must." Nothing. "Come on, give me that one back and I'll consider it an apology." There was a moment of silence and then she heard a chime-like noise from inside the house. A key bounced across the stone floor and out of the door. Elmyra could not see where it had originated from or anything that could have thrown it. It looked a lot like her apartment key. With suspicious glances and a lot of care, Elmyra shuffled closer to the house and with a tentative hand she picked it up. She stepped backwards as fast as she could, her gaze not straying from the open door.

"Thank you," she said after a moment. Turning on her heel she started walking away and paused. "Are those... I mean, if I could get you those things you took, would you not eat mine?" She glanced back at the house. "Because... there's no chance of me living here if you eat my keys." Another key bounced across the floor. Elmyra retrieved it; it was not one of hers. She glanced at the lock on the door. "Is this yours? Does... does that mean you want me to stay?" She smiled. "Okay. But you're on probation. I'll bring some of my things and some food. If you don't eat them then... I'll bring more food." The front door clicked shut, and Elmyra took that as an agreement.

* * *

The next morning, Elmyra arrived at the house with some crockery, some tinned food, a large number of uncut keys, twenty unpaired socks and the contents of her change jar. The house appeared inert this morning, not even opening the front door at her approach. The key from the previous day unlocked the door and after taking a deep breath Elmyra walked in. She resisted the urge to brace the door open again and instead walked straight into the kitchen. All her nerves prickled; waiting for the first hint of light-headedness. If the house turned on her again, well. She would accept the time as wasted, regret all the effort she put in, but would admit it was no way to live. Long moments passed and nothing happened. She let out a shaky breath and started putting the crockery and food into cupboards.

"It's going to take me a while to move everything here. Assuming you continue to behave yourself," she said as she shuffled around the kitchen. "As long as you don't eat my belongings, I'll keep getting you things to eat." She paused, looking at nothing. "Though, I'm not sure how much of anything you'd want or need." She raised her voice. "It would help if you could talk." Elmyra tilted her head to one side and listened. Nothing. With a sigh she resumed her task, and glanced around the kitchen again. There was a small cupboard on the inner wall not far from the window. "Okay. Now, I'm going to leave your food in here. Anything in this cupboard," she pointed, "Is yours. Nothing else. Okay?" Silence. "Alright." Crouching down, Elmyra tipped half the jar of change into the space, threw two sets of keys and ten of the socks into the cupboard. "I need to go to work now, but I'll be back tomorrow. If all that is gone and nothing outside of it, then I'll take that as you agreeing to this."

Before work the next day, Elmyra let herself back into the house. First her things; they all still sat untouched in the cupboards. The small, designated cupboard was bare. She could not restrain the grin that pulled at her lips. Elmyra heaped the remaining coins, socks and keys into the cupboard and went to work with a spring in her step. Afterwards she ferried some more non-perishable items and a few of her books to the house. All her things remained safe overnight again.

It took the better part of two weeks to move her belongings in armfuls each day. She risked an overnight stay at the end of the first week - just a sleeping bag and a mat in the corner of the main room, close to the front door. Elmyra threw extra change, keys and socks into the cupboard and woke early, thankful to find herself unharmed. It was hard to relax despite her survival and she was out of the house at the first opportunity. She waited another two days and stayed another night. Things were going to be okay. At the end of two weeks Elmyra had to pay more than she would like to get the bulkier items of furniture driven to the house. She pretended not to see the alarmed looks when she gave them her new address. A little extra pay was necessary to convince them to deliver as agreed and she even met them well away from the house. The workers did not hang around, nervous at being anywhere near to the house, and running outside between items. At least the move was complete; there was nothing left in her temporary apartment. She did not even look back as she closed the door on it forever. Her new home awaited. Rent free, or almost so; the cost of the keys, the socks was well below what she had been paying, and she accrued loose change all the time.

A new phase of her life began; living in the Hell House, each benefiting from the situation. Elmyra chatted to the house as she settled in, at last getting to work on the upper stories. It was so satisfying to step back and see the house looking so good; mended and almost like new. In turn the house provided her with shelter; it should be possible to weather anything now.

* * *

Twenty-five years later, Elmyra stood on the doorstep, taking a last look around the house. She could not hang around much longer. That Shinra exec, Reeve, had sent a transport to get her clear of the city while there was still time. Like the rest of the Sector, Elmyra had gone out to stare at Meteor between the gaps in the upper plate. It had been a distraction, even if it remained a distressing one. Just something so she would not think about Aeris for just a little while. She sighed, tears pricking at her eyes. Her husband was dead. Her daughter was dead. And now she was even going to lose the house, the one thing she thought might outlive her. But there was no way around it; the human populace took precedent over the monstrous. Even though the house had been quiet for long years now, there was no way to move it. But it was so hard to let go; the building had comforted her in it's own way. The interior grew warmer when she was sad, and she could have sworn it mourned the passing of Aeris as much as she had.

"Goodbye," was all she could manage as she closed and locked the front door. She could not bring herself to look back as she walked towards the centre of Sector Five and the transport. No, she could not dwell on her old home. Marlene was waiting for her in Kalm and Barret's daughter needed her more right now.

* * *

Three months later, Elmyra considered heading back to Midgar; just to visit. Maybe stop by Edge first and see how Marlene, Cloud, Barret and Tifa were getting on. Meteor had damaged the former capital but the plates were still suspended above the slums. She could go back and visit. Maybe live there again. No. That would not do. Going back would solve nothing. But it was so tempting to at least visit her home. And the church; the place she had avoided ever since Reeve broke the news about Aeris, his voice choked with sadness. She sighed. Maybe it was for the best to let the past be the past.

She heard the rumour while shopping but paid it no mind. Little bits and pieces filtered through despite her best efforts; a mysterious house that had appeared on the edge of Kalm. Everyone insisted it had not been there the previous day, but no one could explain how it could have sprung up over night like that. Elmyra chuckled. Ghost stories. Well, everyone had their own way of coping in the new post-Mako world. But still; a new house on the edge of town that had not been there the previous day. A house outside the ring of desolation that circled Kalm in the midst of the new constructions. It could not be; but she had to be sure. She had to see. On her way home, Elmyra detoured to the edge of Kalm. Just to look.

It looked like it had been there forever. There was nothing to say it had ever not sat in that same spot. But Elmyra knew it had not been there two days ago; she also knew how it had gotten there. Sat in front of her was the Hell House from Sector Five. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight and she gravitated towards it, unable to stop her feet. People were muttering about magic, but she paid them no mind. The front door was still locked, the walls marred with faint scratches, and minor damage. It needed repainting. It needed a few touch ups. She smiled and dug into her bag. The key had been with her all this time - the one reminder of her former home. The lock clicked open and she was home. She needed to call Reeve and let him know the house he arranged for her could go to one of the refugee families; far better for her to be here.

Elmyra patted the door frame. "It's good to see you again," she said. The house did not reply, but a wash of warmth wafted over her and she took that as welcome enough.


End file.
